Yeast Starter Calculation Tool

[Wort Slurpin]

I wanted a simple calculator that gave me the starter size required and DME to add to the starter based on one vial or packet of yeast. Since I couldn't find anything that did both I just made my own in flash Yeast Starter Volume and DME Addition Calculator. Thought I would pass it along in case other wanted to use it.

[alan_marks]

I just tried your calculator and find it interesting that your volume measurements are rather large. For example, in a 5.5 gallon batch of 1.080 beer using 1 vial on WLP ale yeast to use a little over 340 grams of DME in a 8.5 liter starter! This would be over 2 gallons of starter in a 5.5 gallon batch of beer. Based on conventional use, shouldn't the volume be 3.4 liters? BTW, the calculator at www.mrmalty.com does similar calculations that your site does.

Alan

[thatguy314]

Is this just for simple starters?

[Wort Slurpin]

Yes this would be a calculator for a simple starter. By simple I mean that you are placing your starter wort into a small container and stirring by hand once in a while to aerate.

Also the starter size is not a linear relationship with the yeast required so if you are starting with one vial of yeast and need enough yeast for a high gravity ale for example you are going to need a crazy large starter size. The way to reduce your starter size would be to add an additional vial of yeast (2 x) or the other option would be to perform a multiple stage starter. I never make starters that are larger than a gallon (or haven't yet). If your volume exceeds a gallon then you probably need more yeast to propagate.

Ive used it a few times already and it appears right in the calculations. Let me know if something isn't making sense and I'll do my best to either correct the error or explain the calculations.